New Years Resolutions

I sat down to start drafting my new years resolutions the other day. I don't like to do the cliche ones of losing weight or eating healthier. Those always die away by the first couple months. And there isn't really any sort of goal to achieve. This year I want to do fun resolutions. Things that will make my year a little brighter. Here are a few items I have on my list so far.

-Travel somewhere new

-Send a card by mail to a different friend each month

-Tour the Capitol Building (I have so many friends who work on the hill I don't know why I haven't managed a tour yet!)

-Volunteer in DC possibly with my design services

-And my favorite: Pick 12 classic movies and watch one each month of the year. When I was home over Christmas I watched Holiday Inn featuring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. I absolutely loved it and realized there were so many classics I hadn't seen. So below is my list of movies I've picked for myself and all I have to do is watch one from the list each month.

1) Roman Holiday

2) Casablanca

3) Funny Face

4) Gone with the Wind

5) An American in Paris

6) Singing in the Rain

7) Its a Wonderful Life

8) My Fair Lady

9) The Godfather

10) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

11) Red River (Figured I should do one classic western)

12) An Affair to Remember

What about you? Any fun New Years Resolutions you are giving yourself?

On My Way to Work

I was walking to work this morning and snapped a few pictures of the frozen twigs and leaves. I love how the ice encapsulated everything over night!

I also decided I need to take more pictures on my way to work. Or at least stop and notice things. Usually I'm in a hurry to get in on time. This morning I didn't care quite so much as its New Years Eve and barely anybody at the office.

A Few Favorite Good Mornings

Looking back at my blog over the past year, I realized I've been doing good morning posts since the second week in January. So for almost a year now. The point of the post was just to start off the day with a creative or beautiful picture. Usually something relevant to the time of year or my mood, though not always. I find that looking at other peoples photography is a great source of inspiration for myself.

So I thought I'd go back through my year of Good Morning pictures and pick a few favorites. It is interesting to look at what kinds of photographs I gravitate towards. Usually they include a human element. Sometimes vintage colors. Below are a few of my favorite pictures I've featured throughout the year. I love all the pictures I've used through the year, but these really jumped off the screen for me. Feel free to have a look through and pick out your own.

orangeacid

ecstaticist

an untrained eye

flint knits

osculations

MorBCN

serhio

Fabien F

carf

celeste

adwriter

Dude Crush

semola1

just Luh.

foreversouls

Anna Gay

dorlis

Good Morning: Happy New Year

~BostonBill~

*I highly recommend reading the story of this couple. They met on a blind date on New Years Eve and by the morning were engaged to be married!

Streetlight Storm: Lights powered by Lightening

Artist Katie Paterson has teamed up with Vauxhall Motors for a pretty amazing art exhibition that monitors global storm patterns. Basically the lights flickr in time with lightening storms as they occur live across the world. So basically if there is a lightening storm somewhere in China, the lights will flickr on this pier in a sleepy British town on the sea. Apparently there are around 6000 lightning storms happening across the world at any one time. So the flash of the pier lights shows the pattern and intensity of the various storms happening around the globe. Like I said pretty amazing. Check out the video at the bottom of the post.

via Cakehead Loves Evil

Good Morning: Almost Time

Netream

Blanca Monros Gomez Rings

Grey Rose Cut Diamond Solitaire

Prong Setting Solitaires

Black Seed Diamond Rings

Seed Stacking Ring

Flower Seed Stacking Ring

Custom Solitaire Ring

Floret Stacking Ring

Sprout Ring in Silver

Big Wall Calendar

If I had this big wall calendar in my home I think I would never forget any important dates.

Good Morning: Back in the Day

gregor_y

A Few Favorites from the snow storm

If you aren't from the DC area, I'm sure you at least heard about the huge snow storm that hit the district last week. I know its a little late, but since I wasn't online much last week I wanted to share a few photos I got from the storm. All are in my neighborhood on the hill as I didn't dare to venture very far. Its amazing how the snow can make anything look beautiful and magical.

My Christmas in North Carolina

Its Monday and back to the grind for me. I'm sure many of you are still enjoying your holiday this week, in which I am very jealous of. Though I had a really nice and relaxing week at home so I can't complain too much. I captured a few festive photos of my trip home. Though festivities did get cut short when I came down with the flu. Luckily I got a lot of my celebrating in before.

My sisters and I decorated a gingerbread train with my nephew Ethan. He is obsessed with trains so all you have to say is trains and candy and he is there.

The finished product.

Got together with some old high school friends for a bachelorette party.

Lunch with my sister at the German Cafe and Bakery, Guglhupf, in Durham. During the warm months the patio is amazing and feels like something straight out of California. In the colder months the upstairs is nice and cozy with funky light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Its the perfect place for a quick lunch, a cup of coffee and long chat, or even a study session by yourself.

Had Christmas early with my sisters, brother-in-laws, and nephews. The kids of course had the most to open.

Ethan enjoying Curious George.

Luke of course enjoyed the paper more than the gifts. If only we were all so easily pleased.

One of the houses in my neighborhood goes ALL out for Christmas. We drove by Christmas Eve and there was a line of cars waiting in line to go past.

Watched old Christmas movies with my parents.

Our front door and Christmas tree.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Christmas decorations and my puppy.

My favorite Christmas decoration is the garland and lights my parents hang on our back porch. It is so beautiful and feels kind of magical standing out there in the quiet of the night.